(Bluefield)—Mardochee Isme, a Boston resident and Bluefield State College student, has accepted an invitation to participate in a West Virginia Idea Network of Biological Research Excellence (WV-INBRE) 2012 summer internship.

The nine-week graduate-level summer research internship in biomedical sciences will permit participants to receive formal training while expanding their learning experiences through workshops, seminars, mentoring and use of state-of-the-art core facilities.

As a member of the Emerging Leaders Institute at BSC, Isme took part in the NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium last year and she developed a passion for biomedical research. "I was mentored by Dr. Tesfaye Belay, and our project, "Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a Health Threat to Astronauts during Space Travel," involved studying how the microbe Pseudomonas aeruginosa that survives without food in water," she explained. P. aeruginosa is of particular concern in space flight, because it can survive without food in the water consumed by astronauts. Isme discovered that the microbe can survive for more than three years in water, showing distinct changes in colony morphology and loss of green pigmentation.

Observing her aptitude for, and interest in, research, Belay encouraged Isme to apply for research internship opportunities. "Because of Dr. Belay's encouragement, I applied for the WV-INBRE Summer Research Program and I recently received a letter of acceptance," Isme added.

"The WV-INBRE internship will strengthen Mardochee's preparation for graduate or medical school," Belay said. "I strongly believe that she will benefit greatly from the research program at Marshall University. She is an outstanding student."

"I am very interested in biostatistics," Isme stated. "It's a field that combines both of my interests—biomedical research and mathematics. Through the internship, I will gain even more experience on the research side. It will strengthen my opportunity to pursue a postgraduate degree in research."